Jupiter Gold sparkles in S'pore Derby
Takaoka-trained $34 chance denies $14 favourite Elite Invincible the Singapore 4YO Challenge triple crown
The Jupiter Gold of old sparkled in the $1.15 million Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby at Kranji yesterday, denying Elite Invincible the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge triple crown.
Racing with a new lease of life after enjoying a short spell and retrained from scratch, the former star juvenile produced his trademark turn of foot to beat Elite Invincible by 11/4 lengths in the 1,800m Emirates-sponsored feature.
Elite Invincible, who was the $14 favourite, stood to win a $150,000 bonus if he had completed a clean sweep of the $500,000 Group 2 Stewards' Cup (1,400m), $1 million Giovanni Racing Charity Bowl (1,600m) and Derby treble.
From looking a winner at the top of the straight, the Mark Walker-trained Irish-bred nearly lost second placing, finishing only a short head in front of third-placed Lim's Magic after being headed out at one point but clawed back tenaciously for the runner-up spot.
Jupiter Gold's victory gave trainer Hideyuki Takaoka his third Derby, after Jolie's Shinju in 2009 and Better Life in 2013. It was jockey Olivier Placais' first Group 1 success. The Takaoka-Placais combination had a good day, also winning with Higher Soul and Makanani.
Derby Day also proved to be a fantastic outing for Placais and Takaoka. Placais also scored on the Lee Freedman-trained Turf Princess and John O'Hara-trained Fame Star. Takaoka himself enjoyed a four-bagger, having saddled Masurao to win with two-time top apprentice CC Wong astride.
I’m very happy he finally won a Group 1 race. I thought the mile was his optimum distance but, in the last 200m, I knew he would win.Trainer Hideyuki Takaoka, after Jupiter Gold’s Emirates Singapore Derby victory
But it was Jupiter Gold that gave them the greatest satisfaction. After all, the Jupiter Gold Stable-owned Australian-bred had run below par towards the end of last season, culminating with an 11th placing in the $1.35 million Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2,200m) last November.
The brown gelding was then spelled and brought back to racing in mid-February over 1,400m first-up. After two more unplaced runs over 1,600m, Jupiter Gold bounced back with a scintillating victory over the Polytrack 1,200m on June 10 and then finished a strong third to Elite Invincible in the Group 1 Charity Bowl two weeks later.
With that, Takaoka, a master of stayers with four Singapore Gold Cup triumphs, has brought Jupiter Gold back to tip-top shape.
Yesterday, Placais rode a tactical race, parking the $34 second favourite in a handy fourth behind Lim's Regard, who led from Yulong Honor and Elite Invincible.
Champion jockey Vlad Duric made a daring move turning into the long straight and steered Elite Invincible to overtake Lim's Regard. Placais moved up in tandem. The Stephen Gray-trained $105 outsider Lim's Magic loomed up menacingly on the rails.
Responding to Placais' conductor-like whipping, Jupiter Gold swept past Elite Invincible 250m out and went on to score a deserving victory - his eighth in 21 starts.
"I'm very happy he finally won a Group 1 race. Actually, I was only worried about the distance. I thought the mile was his optimum distance but, in the last 200m, I knew he would win," said Takaoka.
Placais, who could not believe he is flying at the moment after going through a difficult time earlier in the year, paid tribute to Takaoka for bringing Jupiter Gold back to basics and said he benefited from a nice trail behind Elite Invincible.
"The horse was not in form and Takaoka actually had a good idea to run him over short distances to wake him up and he showed he's a very good horse. You know, at the 300m, I knew the Group 1 would be mine," said Placais.
"You know, a few people told me 1,800m would be too long for your horse and I said 'no, no, he can make the distance.' It's not a problem and he showed me today. He just had to jump, sit behind some horses and save energy. He di d that very well.
"To tell you something, this is my first Group 1 in my career. I tell you, I'm on a cloud now. I'm just dreaming. It's amazing."
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